


The taste of caffeine on my tongue (this morning I'm thinking of you)

by 2amcoffeerants (fullsunx)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baristas, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hyuck is simping so hard I kinda got second hand embarrassment, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Meet-Cute, My attempt at humour ish, Renjun and Jaemin are only briefly there or mentioned, Some swearing when Hyuck is simping, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullsunx/pseuds/2amcoffeerants
Summary: In which Donghyuck live-comments about how hot the coffee shop barista is (and Mark is very good at maintaining his on-the-job face).
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 14
Kudos: 248





	The taste of caffeine on my tongue (this morning I'm thinking of you)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration really hits at 5 in the morning huh. I wrote this in one go for shits and giggles sorry

Donghyuck is tired (of Jaemin). He was half asleep when Jaemin had asked him to buy an iced americano for him after pulling an all-nighter studying biology or something, and he had agreed to whatever because he wanted to go back to sleep. Jaemin _knows_ that he’s like this when he’s asleep, and had the audacity to take advantage of it.

The moment Donghyuck muttered anything that sounded even remotely similar to an agreement, Jaemin had slapped him fully awake yelling no take backs as he stole Donghyuck’s duvet and went to sleep on his bed.

And now here he is, early morning 6am with bed hair and a random shirt he picked off his floor because he doesn’t care and isn’t going to see anyone important in the wee hours of the morning. He does, however, call Renjun so his friend can suffer with him. It takes a few calls while walking to the closest coffee shop near his dorm before Renjun actually responds with something intelligible, but Donghyuck needs all the support he can get. If he’s being forced awake, he might as well rant about it and put himself in emotional ease.

“I can’t believe it, Renjun. Jaemin freaking pulled me off my own bed!” Donghyuck begins as he enters the coffee shop with a soft jingle of the bell on the door. Renjun isn’t really in the right state of mind and is probably just saying yes to appease him while he’s half asleep but Donghyuck doesn’t really care. He already ordered on mobile (and added a little pick me up for himself as well), so he can continue the complaining for however long it takes before he can pick up the drinks and go back to sleep.

He heads straight to the pick up section where a clear glass wall divides the barista’s workstation and the customers. He moves right by the glass and peers in to see if the barista is making his drink. “Like Jaemin, I know you’re tired, but couldn’t you have just gotten the coffee after you wake up later—”

Donghyuck almost drops his phone in synchrony to his jaw dropping to the floor. The barista is _hot_. Like really. Hot. And cute. Both. He doesn’t know how that’s possible but it is.

“Oh my god, Oh my god, Renjun, Renjun,” he practically shouts into his phone so Renjun will be more awake and actually listen to what he’s saying.

“What’s up I’m listening—”

“The barista is so. Cute.” Donghyuck interrupts immediately. He tries his best not to make it obvious that he’s ogling the barista and pretends he’s just watching him make the drinks.

“Like Renjun. His eyes. They are so big and sparkly like you won’t believe it. Who the fuck looks this pretty at six in the morning? He literally looks awake and thriving. This is absolutely insane.”

The barista then grabs a clear plastic cup. It’s probably Jaemin’s, but Donghyuck doesn’t care right now. He’s too busy admiring the barista’s side profile to care about that disgusting concoction Jaemin willingly drinks every day.

“... And his nose. Renjun, you need to see it. It slopes straight down and then curves just a little bit at the bottom. That is fucking perfection. The most boopable nose in existence. How does he look like this?”

“And his cheekbones. Gosh, Renjun you are missing out. And his lips. Oh my god his lips look so pillowy, they're so kissable. His face is absolutely perfect. There must be some other flaw, like maybe his arms are like sticks or something.” In almost-too-perfect timing, the barista pushes his white dress shirt sleeves up to his elbows before he presses the coffee beans for Jaemin’s americano. If Donghyuck’s eyes could get any bigger, they would have popped out of the socket by now. The barista had been hiding smooth toned muscle underneath that white dress shirt of his. This guy definitely works out.

”Nope, never mind, his arms are great too I can’t.” Donghyuck is trying so hard not to have a mental breakdown over this barista he just met a minute ago, but he’s really struggling right now.

“What’s his name?” Renjun manages to add in between his non-stop rambling of the barista’s perfect features. Donghyuck stops talking briefly to try and read the name tag pinned to his apron. He doesn’t have to wait too long as the barista turns from his original side-way stance to grab two straws by the divider. _Right in front of him_. Within kissable distance if the glass wasn’t separating them.

“His name is Mark Lee. Oh my god. It's short and sweet. Even his name is perfect.” Donghyuck isn’t okay anymore. How can he continue living knowing there’s an entrapped Greek God in the university campus coffee shop by his dorm?

The barista then tilts his head at _just_ the right angle as he starts pouring into the cups and Donghyuck can't help but start live-commenting again. “And his jawline, Renjun. His jawline. How is he this perfect? Is this glass a computer screen? This must be photoshop. This can’t be real. How is this fair to all the other people living on this earth?

Mark Lee the hot barista then grabs a sharpie to write probably his name on the two cups. Donghyuck is going to keep the cups and stare at his handwriting forever. It’s probably in beautiful cursive, and Donghyuck won’t even complain even though he hates cursive. He would love to see his name written in Mark's penmanship.

“Like Renjun— you know I’m gay, but it’s not a matter of him looking great because I’m attracted to guys and am desperately single. Is he single? Because people must be blind not to see how perfect he is.”

His phone interrupts his live narrations right then to pop up with a notification indicating that his drinks are ready. “Hey Renjun, I'm about to pick up the drinks. Give me some mental support,” he says as he settles down to look less like a maniac screaming into his phone.

He smiles politely, hoping he makes a good impression as he waves his hand from his side of the clear glass and shows his order on his phone. Mark Lee has a healthy glow on his cheeks, and Donghyuck would have thought he looked almost shy as he waves back. Then Mark Lee, with a flawlessly polite smile (ohmygosh his little perfectly aligned teeth and his _smile_ ), slides the cups across the smooth marble table…

… and through the gap underneath the glass separating the two of them.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck.

Mark Lee the barista heard everything, didn’t he?

Donghyuck audibly squeals as heat spreads from his cheeks to his ears and neck. Renjun says he has a very vivid asian glow when he’s piss drunk, but he doesn’t think he needs to be intoxicated to know he’s red as a tomato right now. In fact, he'd rather be drunk so he wouldn't remember any of this.

His brain stops functioning. He can’t bear to look at Mark Lee anymore. It’s a shame he can never look at his face again, but what’s more shameful is probably what Donghyuck just did. He thinks he splutters a mess of apologies, running out the store with the drinks in hand and the next thing he knows is that he’s back at his dorm.

“I messed up so bad,” he chants repeatedly as soon as everything he just did starts to sink in. He drops into the chair by the dining table as he holds his head in both hands after putting the drinks down in front of him.

He’s so embarrassed. This is all Jaemin’s fault. He can’t even study at the coffee shop anymore (not that he actually went there before). And if he ever sees Mark Lee again on campus, he’ll simultaneously combust and melt into a puddle.

Goodbye, Mark Lee and your perfect face and perfect everything. Goodbye, Donghyuck’s reputation on campus.

But then he sees the black sharpie handwriting on the cup. The handwriting is just as perfect as he expected, but it’s in print and written in all caps. He holds one of the drinks up with shaking hands as if he had consumed Jaemin’s americano.

_Not sure which drink is yours but text me ;)_

And then there's a number underneath. Mark Lee's number underneath. Holy. shit.

He blinks, reading twice. He laughs, embarrassed, as he puts the cup down gently and tries to hide his flustered face from no one in particular.

He’s going to have to thank Jaemin for this date isn’t he? Jaemin is never going to let this go.

He rests his head on the table, looking eye-level to the neatly printed handwriting on both cups with the same message.

Even the semicolons Mark Lee drew on the winks were perfect. Ugh.

**Author's Note:**

> Just realized this fic is like the manifestation of my pseud 😂 Not on purpose of course. I almost named this 6am coffee rants, you have to thank julie for giving me a better idea
> 
> Thanks for reading, please let me know if you enjoyed it! I always love reading comments 🥰
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


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